1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an analog radio-controlled timepiece receiving, by radio, a standard radio signal including a time code denoting a present time instant, thereby performing a time instant correction on the basis of the time code.
2. Description of the Related Art
From olden times, there is utilized the radio-controlled timepiece receiving, by radio, the standard radio signal including the time code denoting the present time instant, thereby correcting a time instant in an inside of the radio-controlled timepiece to a time instant corresponding to the time code. Even in a case where a clock error occurs in the radio-controlled timepiece, by correcting the time instant on the basis of the received time code, the time instant can be displayed by being corrected to an accurate time instant.
In a case where the time instant correction is performed by being coincided with the standard radio signal, there is a case where a user wishes to know a reception information on whether or not the standard radio signal can be received, which station's standard radio is being received, or the like. In a conventional analog radio-controlled timepiece, in a case where the reception information is notified to the user, there are issues like the below.
For example, firstly, in order to perform the time instant correction by being coincided with the standard radio signal, since whether or not the standard radio signal can be received is an issue, there is developed an analog radio-controlled timepiece made so as to display a degree (reception sensitivity) of whether or not the standard radio signal can be accurately received (for example, refer to JP-A-2003-114288 Gazette (Paragraphs [0009]-[0017], FIG. 1-FIG. 5), and JP-A-2003-121571 Gazette (Paragraphs [0014]-[0018], FIG. 1 -FIG. 7, FIG. 9)).
In the above conventional analog radio-controlled timepiece, there is made such that the reception sensitivity of the standard radio signal is displayed by a position of a second hand. By this, it becomes possible that the user know the reception sensitivity of the standard radio signal.
However, in the above conventional analog radio-controlled timepiece, since there is made such that the reception sensitivity is displayed by the second hand during a reception of the standard radio signal, there is an issue that the present time instant is not understandable. Further, there is an issue that a reception sensitivity expression is not very understandable. Additionally, there occurs such a restriction that symbols H, M, L and the like for displaying a high sensitivity, a medium sensitivity, a low sensitivity and the like must be marked in positions, in which the second hand points out the reception sensitivity, in a case of the analog radio-controlled timepiece.
Secondly, in the radio-controlled timepiece, there is developed one made so as to be capable of receiving plural kinds of standard radios (e.g., standard radios of plural countries).
For example, in the JP-A-2003-121571 Gazette, there is disclosed an analog radio-controlled timepiece made so as to display the standard radio from which station (reception station) is being received.
In the analog radio-controlled timepiece of the JP-A-2003-121571 Gazette, there is made such that the reception station is displayed by the position of the second hand. By this, it becomes possible that the user can know from which reception station the standard radio signal is being received.
However, in the above conventional analog radio-controlled timepiece, since there is constituted such that the reception station is displayed by the second hand, the second hand cannot display the present time instant, so that there is an issue that an accurate present time instant is not understandable.
Further, there is an issue for the user that it is difficult to discriminate which reception station the signal was received from. In order to facilitate the discrimination of the reception station, there occurs such an issue that a special constitution, such as marking a station name or the like, must be added to a position in which the second hand points out the reception station.
Thirdly, depending on a use environment or the like of the radio-controlled timepiece, there is the fact that the standard radio signal cannot be normally received and, in this case, the radio-controlled timepiece cannot be corrected to an accurate time instant. Accordingly, since there is a fear that the time instant display becomes not accurate, in a case where there is used without knowing the fact that the standard radio signal could not be made normal, there is an issue that the user misapprehends the time instant.
In order to solve the issues like these, there is developed an analog radio-controlled timepiece made so as to display a reception result of the standard radio signal (for example, refer to JP-A-200.3-14870 Gazette (Paragraphs [0009] [0033], FIG. 1-FIG. 5). By this, the user can know whether or not the standard radio signal could be normally received, and an judgment on whether or not the time instant being displayed is accurate becomes possible.
However, in the above analog radio-controlled timepiece of the JP-A-2003-14870 Gazette, since there is constituted such that whether or not the signal was normally received is displayed by an indication hand for displaying the time instant, the present time instant cannot be displayed during a reception success or failure is displayed, so that there is an issue that the accurate present time instant is not understandable.
Further, there is an issue for the user that it is difficult to discriminate whether or not the signal was normally received.
In order to facilitate the discrimination of whether or not the signal was normally received, it can be considered to constitute such as the fact that plural symbols denoting the reception success or failure be previously provided in the case of the analog radio-controlled timepiece, thereby pointing out the above symbol by the above indication hand in compliance with the reception success or failure. However, there occurs such an issue that a special constitution, such as marking the symbol denoting the reception success or failure to the case, must be added.
Fourthly, depending on a region where the radio-controlled timepiece is used, since there is a case where the standard radio signal to be received and a local time instant differ, there is made so as to display the local time instant by calculating the local time instant by considering a time difference between the region where it is used and the standard radio signal to be received (refer to JP-A-2001-311788 Gazette (Paragraphs [0014]-[0030], FIG. 1-FIG. 4).
For example, in the USA, the GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) is transmitted as the standard radio signal and, further, the whole land of the USA is divided into four time zones. The local time instants in the four regions are EST (Eastern Standard Time=GMT−5 hours), CST (Central Standard Time=GMT−6 hours), MST (Mountain Standard Time=GMT−7 hours) and PST (Pacific Standard Time=GMT−8 hours, and it is necessary to set a time difference information denoting the time difference from the GMT to the radio-controlled timepiece used in each time zone.
By the way, in a case of the analog radio-controlled timepiece, when performing a setting of the time instant information by using time instant hands for displaying the time instant, there is an issue that there becomes necessary a special constitution such as marking a time zone information (time difference from a predetermined time instant, or region name) to the case of the radio-controlled timepiece.
Further, also in a case where a display of the set time zone information is performed by the time instant hands, there becomes necessary such a method as to previously mark the plural time zone information to the case, thereby pointing out a mark corresponding to the set time difference by the time instant hands, so that there is an issue that there becomes necessary a special constitution such as marking the plural time zone information to the case.
Further, there is an issue that the accurate time instant cannot be displayed during the time zone information is being displayed by the time instant hands.
Fifthly, for a convenience of the user, there is developed an analog radio-controlled timepiece made so as to notify a reception progress situation of the standard radio signal (refer to JP-A-2003-167073 Gazette (Paragraphs [0016]-[0051], FIG. 1-FIG. 4).
However, in order to display the reception progress situation, there is constituted so as to display the reception progress situation by providing plural symbols for displaying the reception progress situation in the case of the radio-controlled timepiece and pointing out the symbol complying with the reception progress situation by the indication hands for denoting the time instant.
Accordingly, there is an issue that there becomes necessary a special constitution such that it is necessary to provide the symbol denoting the progress situation in the case.
Further, since there is made so as to display the reception progress situation by the indication hand (e.g., the second hand) displaying the time instant, there is an issue that the present time instant is not understandable during the reception progress situation is being displayed.
Additionally, since the progress situation is displayed by the time instant hands, there is an issue that a progress situation expression is difficult to understand.